Newly Relaunched Website Allows Seniors to Find Benefits to Improve their Lives

Washington, DC – December 5, 2011 – The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its free, online screening service BenefitsCheckUp®, which has identified more than $10 billion in benefits for over 3 million vulnerable older adults since 2001.

Developed and maintained by the NCOA, BenefitsCheckUp® is the nation’s most comprehensive web-based service to screen for benefits programs for seniors with limited income and resources. It includes almost 2,000 public and private benefits programs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Using a simple survey, BenefitsCheckUp® screens individuals for benefits that can help them pay for food, medicine, health care, utilities, rent, and more. It also gives users the information and steps they need to apply for benefits. For more information, visit www.BenefitsCheckUp.org.

For 10 years, BenefitsCheckUp® has provided local aging service agencies with a free, easy-to-use, confidential tool to assist seniors in their community. According to the Oklahoma Insurance Department, BenefitsCheckUp® “is an invaluable tool for educating clients on all of their available resources. Most seniors and disabled persons live on a tight budget, and many of the programs that we can connect them with through BenefitsCheckUp® can be life-changing for them.”

“I’m very proud that NCOA has already helped more than 3 million older adults through BenefitsCheckUp®, but our work is not done,” said Stuart Spector, senior vice president, NCOA. “Thousands of vulnerable older adults are still missing out on potentially life-saving benefits that could help them get heating assistance in the winter, food for their families, and critical medications. With the newly designed BenefitsCheckUp®, our work to help vulnerable seniors find the benefits they deserve will continue.”

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About NCOA
The National Council on Aging is a nonprofit service and advocacy organization headquartered in Washington, DC. NCOA is a national voice for millions of older adults – especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged – and the community organizations that serve them. It brings together nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government to develop creative solutions that improve the lives of all older adults. NCOA works with thousands of organizations across the country to help seniors find jobs and benefits, improve their health, live independently, and remain active in their communities. For more information, please visit: www.NCOA.org | www.facebook.com/NCOAging | www.twitter.com/NCOAging

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